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WKC Forum: Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations20 February 2015 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) organized an open forum on “Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations” in Kobe on 20 February 2015 in commemoration of the the 20th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. 43 participants were in attendance to examine major components of resilient society/community with ageing population.

WKC Forum: Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations20 February 2015January 2015 -- During the last 20 years since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Japan, a great deal of effort has been made in communities and by local and national Governments, and with the international community to prepare, respond, and recover from natural disasters. International organizations such as WHO and UNISDR, have developed specific guidance for various aspects of the disaster continuum. WHO Kobe Centre will organize an open, public forum on “Creating resilient society and community for ageing populations in disaster situations” in Kobe and discuss lessons from past disasters to guide how to create a more resilient ageing society that can better prepare for future disasters and support survivors.

Intersectoral Action for Health (ISA)November 2014 -- WKC developed a guidance booklet titled “Intersectoral Action on Health, a path for policy-makers to implement effective and sustainable action on health” in 2011 and have since documented ISA experiences through case studies. The guidance booklet is now in preparation for revision. In May 2014, WKC held the Expert Consultation to collectively review and develop recommendations for the revision of the guidance booklet. In addition, new recent publications on ISA case studies in local governments conducted by WKC have been published. The findings provide valuable insight into the common challenges and success factors for local governments to mobilize ISA for better health outcomes.

Survey of Needs for Assistive and Medical Devices for Older People in Six Countries of the WHO Western Pacific RegionNovember 2014 -- WHO Kobe Centre prepared the report of the survey, which was commissioned to Motivation Australia and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons by WHO. Innovations in health technologies, and associated health and social delivery systems, are critical to preventing and managing functional and cognitive decline that older populations increasingly experience, as well as to reduce long-term institutionalization. The research identifies priority assistive and medical devices for older people, provides a better understanding of contributing factors for their availability and proposes approaches to improve access to high quality assistive and medical devices at an affordable cost in high-income and middle-income countries.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Ageing Populations – Enhancing adherence: medication and nutrition1 October 2014 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) organized an open forum on “Innovation for Ageing Populations – Enhancing adherence: medication and nutrition” in Kobe on 1 October 2014 in commemoration of the UN International Day of Older Persons. 60 participants were in attendance to learn about the latest innovations for older populations to improve medical adherence and the well-being of elderly patients; and the useful nutrition insight for older adults.

WHO Global Forum on Innovations for Ageing PopulationsSeptember 2014 -- Report published. In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Forum on Innovation for Ageing Populations as an information exchange platform for diverse stakeholders to address the challenge of meeting the needs of older people in low resource settings with frugal innovations. The Global Forum held on 10-12 December 2013 in Kobe, Japan, brought together more than 170 expert participants from 21 countries for 3 days of rich discussion and debate, in order to meet the following objectives: exchange information, views and lessons from key operations and health systems research concerning technological and social innovations for ageing populations; highlight findings and solutions through specific examples of successful, scaled-up innovations; and identify key future priorities for WHO and its partners in support of innovations for ageing populations. The Report provides a synthesis of the presentations, debates, and conclusions of the Global Forum.

Revision of Urban HEARTSeptember 2014 -- The WHO Kobe Centre has worked with cities from 40 countries to implement the Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART). The Centre has also documented experiences on using Urban HEART including the recent publication of two journal papers in 2014. At present, the Centre is focused on revising Urban HEART based on feedback from city experiences, expert recommendations, and independent evaluations. The Centre would like to invite all who have used Urban HEART in any capacity to share their ideas and suggestions for revising the tool.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Ageing Populations – Enhancing adherence: medication and nutrition1 October 2014August 2014 -- In commemoration of the UN International Day of Older Persons celebrated every year on 1 October, the WHO Kobe Centre will organize an open forum on “Innovation for Ageing Populations – Enhancing adherence: medication and nutrition” in Kobe. Adherence to therapies is a primary determinant of treatment success. Poor adherence attenuates optimum clinical benefits and therefore reduces the overall effectiveness of health systems. At this forum, WKC is inviting four Japanese experts in the field of gerontology, medication and nutrition will present their work to enhance adherence, which can contribute to healthy ageing.

WKC at the 12th IFA Global Conference on Ageing, 10-13 June 2014, Hyderabad, IndiaJune 2014 -- The 12th Global Conference on Ageing of the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) on the theme “Health, Security and Community” was successfully held on 10-13 June 2014 in Hyderabad, India. The conference was participated by more than 300 delegates representing 49 countries. During the Conference, the WHO Kobe Centre organized a symposium on “Driving Innovation for Ageing Populations: Results from WHO-commissioned studies of the needs of older persons for medical and assistive devices in 8 Asian countries” on 12 June 2014.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Ageing Populations – Addressing the challenges of frailty and disability –24 June 2014 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) organized an open forum on “Innovation for Ageing Populations – Addressing the challenges of frailty and disability –” in Kobe on 24 June 2014. The Forum was attended by 76 participants coming from multiple sectors (i.e., hospitals/clinics, industry, research, universities, local governments, etc.). Following the presentations of four experts, the topics raised during the open forum touched on the specifics of inclusive development, team approach, health insurance and health research.

7th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF-7) April 2014 -- The 7th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF-7) was held 4-11 April 2014 in Medellin, Colombia. During the Forum, the WHO Kobe Centre held two networking events: 1) Health equity and sustainable urban development in the post-2015 development agenda – Second WHO-UN HABITAT joint report; and 2) Healthy and equitable urban planning through intersectoral action. During the WUF-7, WKC also shared Centre’s work through the exhibition space.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Ageing Populations – Addressing the challenges of frailty and disability –24 June 2014May 2014 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) will organize an open forum on “Innovation for Ageing Populations – Addressing the challenges of frailty and disability –” in Kobe on 24 June 2014. The world’s demography is unprecedentedly changing. It is definitely and rapidly ageing. A WHO expert and three Japanese experts will present their respective framework, evidence-based body of work and strategic recommendations in moving forward on addressing current and emerging frailty and disability in ageing populations through innovations in assistive technology.

World No Tobacco Day - 31 May 2014May 2014 -- Every year, on 31 May, WHO and partners mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600 000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. For World No Tobacco Day 2014, we are calling on countries to raise taxes on tobacco.

11th International Conference on Urban Health (ICUH), 4-7 March 2014, Manchester, the United Kingdom May 2014 -- The 11th ICUH held 4-7 March 2014 was hosted by the University of Manchester and was attended by more than 1,000 participants. WKC organized and presented at many events including three plenary sessions, a pre-conference workshop on Urban HEART, and six parallel sessions. The conference was a valuable opportunity to share and exchange information, as well as to build and strengthen networks.

World Health Day 2014April 2014 -- On World Health Day, celebrated on 7 April every year, the World Health Organization draws attention to a public health problem of global proportions and what needs to be done to address it. The date of 7 April marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. The World Health Day 2014 campaign focuses on vectors, the diseases they cause and simple precautions we can all take to protect ourselves and our families.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Healthy Ageing– Examples of current trends in research –5 March 2014 -- WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre - WKC) held the first WKC Forum of the 2014 calendar year on one of its core programmatic themes: Innovations for Healthy Ageing. More than 70 participants were in attendance to learn about the latest research in three key areas of Japanese innovation for ageing populations, including academics and students, researchers, health practitioners, local government, industry, media, and private citizens of Hyogo prefecture.

Expert review of Urban HEARTOver the past decade WHO Kobe Centre has supported city and national officials in their efforts to tackle health inequities. The Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART), since 2008, has provided a step-by-step guidance to local officials and communities to collectively analyse and act on inequities. In November 2013, WHO Kobe Centre convened an expert meeting of academics, policy makers and international organizations in Kobe to deliberate on key areas of guidance in Urban HEART where users can be better supported. The meeting report details the expert deliberations on revising Urban HEART.

WKC Forum: Innovation for Healthy Ageing– Examples of current trends in research –5 March 2014February 2014 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) will organize an open forum on “Innovation for Healthy Ageing – Examples of current trends in research –” in Kobe on 5 March 2014. Population ageing challenges society to adapt, in order to maximize the health and functional capacity of older people as well as their social participation and security. The contemporary challenge then becomes not just living long, but living in good health and maintaining a high quality of life. At this Forum, three of Japan’s leading innovators will present their work to improve healthy ageing through, cutting-edge elder-friendly medicine, robotics and innovations to keep older adults mobile and independent.

WKC Forum: Suicide Prevention and Community Support19 December 2013 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) organized a forum on “Suicide Prevention and Community Support” in Kobe, 19 December 2013. More than 40 participants came from the general public, local governments and health workers to learn the current trends of suicide cases and deepen their knowledge on prevention and response efforts locally and globally.

Request for Proposals: Developing a Guide for Urban Health ObservatoriesOctober 2013 -- The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) has issued a new Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify a qualified professional (or team of professionals) to undertake the production of a guide for establishing, operating, and sustaining an Urban Health Observatory at the local government level, building upon the work that WKC and its collaborators have achieved to date, and taking into consideration the outcomes of a related expert consultation held in 2012. The deadline for submission is 10 November 2013.

WKC at the 3rd International Forum on the “FutureCity” Initiative, Kitakyushu, Japan, 19 October 201319 October 2013 -- The 3rd International Forum on the “FutureCity” Initiative was held in Kitakyushu on 19 October 2013, under the theme of “Creation of new value through integrating environmental, social and economic value.” At the invitation of the Cabinet Office, WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) presented in the session dedicated to “Evaluation system of participatory governance toward self-sustained development”, and took part in a panel discussion.

Advancing Technological Innovation for Ageing Populations in Asia1 October 2013 -- On this International Day of Older Persons (1 October), the WHO Kobe Center recognizes the contributions of older persons to our societies and reaffirms the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call on countries and people to commit to remove barriers to older persons’ full participation in society while protecting their rights and dignity. There is broad recognition that population ageing presents both a significant opportunity and a challenge. WKC is working to encourage greater technological and social innovation to assist ageing populations.

Key documents on Social Determinants of Health now available in JapaneseSeptember 2013 -- A group of Japanese experts on social determinants of health (SDH) has translated into Japanese several key documents related to SDH, including WHO documents. These translations effectively remove the language barrier in accessing essential documents for Japanese policymakers and scholars. It is expected that they will serve as valuable resources as national efforts are made to achieve the renewed “Healthy Japan 21” targets, which include the reduction of health inequity through action on the social determinants of health.

WKC at the 10th APACT Conference18-21 August 2013, Chiba, JapanAugust 2013 -- The 10th Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health (APACT) was held in Chiba, Japan, 18-21 August, under the title “Ending the tobacco epidemic – protecting and keeping healthy lives”. 785 delegates from 42 countries gathered to discuss current issues related to tobacco control and linkages with the non-communicable disease epidemic. The WHO Kobe Centre (WKC), in coordination with WHO Headquarters and the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO), organized a pre-conference workshop: Making your city smoke-free.

Emergency Committee advises on MERS-CoV17 July 2013 -- An Emergency Committee convened by WHO’s Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR) to assess the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – coronavirus (MERS-CoV) situation today unanimously decided that conditions for a public health emergency of international concern have not yet been met. Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan agreed with the Committee’s advice that the situation is of great concern, although it does not constitute a public health emergency at this time.

IAGG/WHO Special Symposium on Age Friendly Cities – Metrics and Evaluation Issues26 June 2013 -- The WHO Kobe Centre organized the “IAGG/WHO Special Symposium on Age Friendly Cities – Metrics and Evaluation Issues” at the 20th IAGG World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics on 26 June, 2013, in Seoul, Korea. The Symposium received sponsorship from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which recently joined the WHO Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities.

8th Global Conference on Health Promotion (8GCHP)10-14 June 2013, Helsinki, FinlandThe 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion (8GCHP) was held in Helsinki, Finland, from 10 to 14 June 2013. The Conference has convened every few years since it was first organized in Ottawa, Canada in 1986, and it is the key event to advance the health promotion field, and presents an important opportunity for the WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) to share its work in urban health and intersectoral action for health.

World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2013– Ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorshipEvery year, on 31 May, WHO and partners everywhere mark World No Tobacco Day, highlighting the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death globally and is currently responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2013 is: ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.

Implementation of Urban HEART7 May 2013 -- With the cooperation of respective authorities in Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kenya, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, an independent evaluation on the process of piloting Urban Health Equity Assessment and Response Tool (Urban HEART) was conducted for 15 cities in 2011–2012. The evaluation will also provide important lessons for WHO to better support cities in implementing Urban HEART.

Visit of Dalian City Officials to WHO Kobe Centre25–26 April 2013In collaboration with the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Japan International Cooperation of Welfare Services and WHO Country Office in the People’s Republic of China, WHO Kobe Centre received the fellowship visit of four officials from Dalian City, China on 25-26 April 2013.

Former Director-General of WHO dies -- health contributions rememberedDr Hiroshi Nakajima, former Director-General of WHO, died Saturday, 26 January, in Poitiers, France, after a short illness. He was 84. Following a career of research in neuropharmacology, Dr Nakajima joined WHO in 1974, where he helped develop the concept of essential medicines. He served as Director of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific from 1978 to 1988, and as the Organization's fourth Director-General, from 1988 to 1998.

WKC ForumInternational Health Emergencies 18 January 2013 -- In conjunction with the 18th Annual Meeting of Japanese Association for Disaster Medicine, WHO Kobe Centre organized an open forum on international health emergencies in Kobe.

Mental Health Day10 October 2012 -- 10 October is World Mental Health Day. World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year the theme for the day is “Depression: A Global Crisis”.

Impact assessment: bringing sectors together to act on health 22 June 2012 -- The UN General Assembly adopted the Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) in 2011 and pledged to promote action through multisectoral action for health (MSA). On 20-22 June 2012, international experts, policy makers and academics gathered at the WHO Centre for Health Development in Kobe to examine tools that will assist policy makers to promote and sustain MSA.

15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH)20 March 2012 -- WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) held a pre-conference workshop, “Making your city smoke-free - 12 steps to an effective smoke-free legislation”, at the 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health 2012 in Singapore. The workshop was especially targeted at city-level policy-makers and tobacco control advocates.

Safe Health Facilities and Preparedness for Mass Casualties27 February 2012 -- Sunday, 19 February 2012 marked the second time that the WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) and the University of Hyogo, Research Institute of Nursing Care for People and Community (RINCPC) organized a public health event at Akashi City. The first time was for a WKC Forum entitled “Strengthening disaster resilience: individual, group and community” held on 20 November 2011.

Harnessing community participation on urban health15 February 2012 -- “What I gathered while listening intently on WHO Kobe Centre’s (WKC) orientation of its pillars was the prime importance of harnessing and supporting community participation with government support, especially in the urban context where I think the sense of community spirit is affected by the urban infrastructure”, expressed Dr Hirofumi Ando , the President of the Asian Urban Information Center of Kobe (AUICK).

WHO Executive Board closes with Japan resolution on ageing24 January 2012 -- Starting a year-long special focus on ageing and health, the Executive Board adopted a resolution calling for countries to promote ‘active ageing’ and establish measures that encourage healthy living throughout the many stages of life.

Living a culture of disaster resilience at all levels21 November 2011 -- “Building, strengthening and enriching the resilience of nations, cities and communities to disasters is every citizen, family and community’s responsibility” – was the message which resonated on the occasion of the Joint WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) and University of Hyogo Forum held on 20 November 2011 at the University of Hyogo, Akashi City, Japan.

Symposium highlights issue of indoor smoking bans in Japan 6 June 2011 -- Physician and tobacco control advocate Dr Junpaku Miyamoto called for “simple and clear” measures to provide people with full protection from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) in Japan, at a public forum, “WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC)”, on 4 June.